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Reviews

Members of the company in the Stratford Festival's production of 'Annie.' iPhoto caption: Members of the company in 'Annie.' Photo by David Hou.

Stratford Festival reviews: Macbeth, As You Like It, Annie, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

While the four productions I reviewed spanned different genres and styles, the presence of household-name director-designer Robert Lepage led me to reflect more broadly on the craft of directing, and how the demands of specific shows shift what’s entailed in that intense, wide-reaching job.

By Liam Donovan / Jun 4, 2025
Braeden Etienne in 'Believe In It Alive.' iPhoto caption: Braeden Etienne in 'Believe In It Alive.' Photo courtesy of Treading Theatre Festival, taken by Phi Doan.

REVIEW: The inaugural Treading Theatre Festival is spotlighting Kitchener’s growing theatre scene — and paying critics to attend

Running at the Schneider Haus National Historic Site in downtown Kitchener, the festival features five site-responsive productions in intimate and unconventional performance spaces.

By Charlotte Lilley / May 31, 2025
Made in Italy at Mirvish. iPhoto caption: Photo by Nanc Price.

REVIEW: Mirvish’s Made in Italy dishes a pleasant but lengthy family feast

Made in Italy is a feat of physical comedy, with creator-performer Farren Timoteo seamlessly taking on the distinct voices and mannerisms of about 10 different characters.

By Gus Lederman / May 30, 2025
Photo of Lacrima, by Christophe Raynaud de Lage iPhoto caption: 'Lacrima' photo by Christophe Raynaud de Lage.

REVIEW: Montreal’s boundary-pushing Festival TransAmériques wrestles with art’s larger purpose

While I only saw a small portion of FTA's deftly constructed, 20-show lineup, I observed in this year’s programming a definite commitment to platforming artists interested in questioning theatre’s relationship to the real world.

By Liam Donovan / May 28, 2025